Table and room divider



Oct. 21, 1958 w. R. KECK 2,857,222

' TABLE AND ROOM DIVIDER Filed Jan. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 William R.Kev/r IN VEN TOR.

Oct. 21, 1958 wQR. KECK TABLE AND ROOM DIVIDER Filed Jan. 24', 1956 I I9 a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William R. Keck INVENTOR.

WWW W mS United States PatentO TABLE AND ROOM DIVIDER William R. Keck,Chicago, 11]., assignor of fifty percent to Jean Rea, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 24, 1956, Serial No. 560,955 2 Claims. (c1. 311-2This invention relates to convertible furniture and particularly to acombined room divider and table.

An object of the. invention is to provide an attractive room dividercapable of being extended to various sizes, but regardless of theextension size of the divider, retaining the table part thereof inreadiment for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a room divider whichincludes a main, center section from which extension panels are easilypulled to the desired positions with respect to the main, centersection. v

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a room. divider as.described above wherein there is a table top inset within the main bodysection so that with the front part of the main body section itconstitutes an attractive.

panel the table top forming portion of which is capable of beingextended to the operative, horizontalposition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ad-j justable roomdivider that has extensible panels together with a table top whichcooperate to form an attractive article of furniture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described .and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention; r k

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment in Figure 1 showing thesame in the extended, usable position as not only a table but also aroom divider;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure2 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3 and in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure5 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of the table in the extended,usable position; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side view of a modification wherein the legsare of a type to more steadily support the combined table and roomdivider.

The room divider 10 which typifies the invention is of lightweightconstruction so that it may be easily moved from one place to another.The divider 10 is intended to be a decorative and attractive article offurniture. Accordingly, it may be made of various woods or finished in avariety of ways. One of the more attractive finishes is a covering of anattractive cloth-like material. There 2,857,222 Patented Oct. 21, 1958are numerous cloths which may be used including some of the availableplastics.

The structural makeup of the room divider includes pairs 12 and 14 ofgenerally V-shaped, bar stock legs whose ends are connected to thecenter body section 16 of the divider. Other leg constructions may besubstituted. For example (Figure 10) the legs 13 and 15 connected by abrace 17 constitute a pair attached to one end of body section 16. Theyare secured to section 15 quite high thereon and diverge at the bottom,in order to have a firmer leg base for the combined divider and table.If desired wheels or casters 19 may be used at the lower ends of legs 13and 15. Moreover, legs 13 and 15 may be connected to the unshown legs atthe opposite side of section 16 by cross members.

The center section 16.comprises an upper strip 18, a lower strip 20 andsides 22 and 24. A back panel 26 is secured to the sides, the top andthebottom strips by standard fasteners. Reinforcing angles 30 are securedto the corners of the sides, bottom and top strips in order to rigidifythe entire structure. A front panel 32 is secured to the bottom strip20, the front edge of the top strip 18 and to the sides 22 and 24 inorder to form the box-like center section 16.

- An extension panel 38 is mounted in the center section 16 and ismovable laterally of the center section 16 through a slot 40 which isformed in the side 22. Panel 38 is formed of lightweight material, asfiber board of various types and is upholstered witha covering 42. Upperrollers 44 are secured to the back panel 26, and to a dividing panel 48located between the back panel 26 and a second dividing panel 50 inthecenter section 16. A seat of lower rollers identical to those at 44are mounted in the bottom of the passage 52 which is defined by the backpanel 26 and the divider 48. By virtue of this construction theextension panel 38 is easily moved inwardly 0r outwardly of thecentersection 16. I

Another panel 54 is slidable in passage 56 which is formed between thedivider 48 and the divider 50. Panel 54 is movable through a slot in theside 24 of the center section and is mounted on the lower and upperrollers 58 which are identical to the rollers 44. Panel 54 may beupholstered as at 60 in the same manner as panel38.

A pair of vertical plates 63 and 64 are secured to the sides 22 and 24by means of screws or the like and are held spaced therefrom by means oflaterally projecting spacers at the upper and lower ends thereof. Thisforms a pocket behind each plate. Each plate has a vertical slot in it,the slot 65 being in plate 63 while the slot 66 is in the plate 54. I

The plates 63 and 64 with the slots therein form a portion of the meansfor mounting the table 68 in the main center section 16. Front panel 32has an aperture in it of the same size (approximately) as the table 68,and the table 68 is normally at rest therein fitting flush with thefront upholstered surface of the front panel 32. Table 68 has a spindle70 secured to the bottom surface of it. The ends of the spindle havecaps 72 thereon, these caps being located in the spaces behind theplates 63 and 64, the spindle 70 passing through slots 65 and 66therein. Accordingly, the spindle 70 is captive in the slots and iscapable of vertical movement. Therefore to withdraw the table 68 fromwithin the aperture in front panel 32 (Figure 5) the finger grip strip74 is pulled outwardly permitting gravity to lower the table 68 whilethe spindle 70 slides downwardly in the slots 65 and 66. At the fulllowered position the table 68 is horizontal and spindle 78 rests uponthe lower ends of the slots 65 and 66. Such slot ends are locatedimmediately above the spacer 76 which is secured to the front panel 32and the divider 50 in order to rigidity and strengthen the 'structure atthis point. I

A pair of legs 80 suitably strengthened and supported are mountedpivotally on hangers 82 on the undersurface of the table 68. A brace $4extending pivotally from each leg SOhas its'outerend di'spbsedinabayonet-latch 86 which is secured to the under'snrface of table-168.Therefore when the table 6 8 isjii1 the ciosed 'positionas sh'owninFigure '5 the legs 80'toge th'er wi'thallof the structureapertinentthereto 'is folded under th'e table :68 and islocatcdbehindthe'table 6 8. "Upon'withdrawal bf the table from thecenter s'ecti'on' l o the legs-80 are extended to the operative positionand latched. Then the table is ready'for use.

Although the table'68ma y be madeof-a onepiece construction, for economy'of weightit'may'b'e built upfby utilizing a rectangular frameS'ShaVing'fi-ont and rear panels'89 and 90. Metallic or plastic'trimmolding 94 extends around the rectangulartab'le'68 and-retains theupholstery layers 95 thereon.

If it isfound desirable adccorativecap 96 may be placedon theitop of thecenter section 16and upholstered together with the remainder of'the'centersection. Choices of upholstering material'and color are leftwithinthe prerogative of thede'signer.

In use one or both' of the panels are extended in order to provideprivacyorto functionas a room or area divider for any other. purpose.When it is desire'd'to use the divider as a table, the table 68ispu'lled downwardlyas described previously. "When it is desired to usethe divider merely as a room"divider,' the table 68 is placed onto'thecenter section 1'6 as shown in Figure 1. It is noted that ineither c'asefull adjustment'ofei ther or both of the panels 38 and 54 is unafiected.

It is understood that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the claimed invention. For example, the room'dividermay'be materiallye'mbellished with decorative attachments. The tapere'd'panel 99' is hinged to one side "of theroom"'dividerlfl' as shown inFigure 3. It is understood that such apanel niay be applied to theother'iside' of the divider "-10. When the tapered panel is used onone'side only of the room divider, theopposite edge may be placedagainstthe wall. Other such modifications may'be made.

What is described asnew is 'as follows:

1. Acombined roomflivider and table comprising a main sectionhaving's'ides, a bottom, a top' and a front wall, said-sectionhaving'chamb'ersysaid sides having entr ai1c'esfor said chambers,anex't'ensionipanel mounted in each chamber and movable between theextended and retracted positions through said entrances,anti-frictionsupporting means for said panels and disposed in saidchambers, a table, said section front wall having an aperture in the toppart thereof, said table disposed in said aperture and fitting flushwith said front wall to provide a part of one wall of one chamber whensaid table is fitting flush with the rernaindrof said front wall, saidsection havinga pairof slots which open into said aperture, a pivotconnected withsaid table and located in said slots for 'a'ttacliii'igs'a id table *to said -"sc'ction and constraining the movementbfsaidtablewith respect to said sectionsothat'said'table'is capable ofbeing-extended and returned into said aperture.

2. Combination-furniture' comprisidg a center section that has a backwall, a front wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom, said walls andbottom enclosing a chamber, said sides having entrance slots thatregister with said chamber, 'extetisi'on pan'els'movable t hr'ough' saidentrances to exten'dan'd return positions in saidch'amberfsaid frontwail extendingupwardly from said bottom bnlypartially toward said topwar therebyleaving an aperture in "said front'wali, a"spac er*be'hind's'ai d'fiontwalhand in said chamber and he lpi'ng to retain said frontwall' fastened in place and-separatedfrom'said panels in "said'chamber,inwardly opening longitudinal slotsinsaid chamber andlocatcd'above'-saidspacer a&rd nearsaidjaperture, a combination tableand partial ffont for said section, said combination table and partialfrdntmbvable betwcen'open and closedpositi'ons-whicEare respectivelywith said table fitting insiid aperture and flush withsaid"frontwall andextended later-ally'from said' front wan, 'ar'rdmeans' connec'ted withsaid table at manner"- edg'e't'h-er'eofiand' engaged in saidslotsfor-eon'str'aining' the movement ofsaid tablebetween the openandclosed positions.

References Cited in' the-file'of this'patent UNITED I STATES PATENTS

